Organisation profile

Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.

Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.

Main research areas

Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.

Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.

Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.

We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.

Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.

Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.

With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.

Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses

In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.

  1. Published

    Impact of monsoon-driven surface ocean processes on a coral off Port Blair on the Andaman Islands and their link to North Atlantic climate variations

    Rixen, T., Ramachandran, P., Lehnhoff, L., Dasbach, D., Gaye, B., Urban, B., Ramachandran, R. & Ittekkot, V., 01.01.2011, In: Global and Planetary Change. 75, 1-2, p. 1-13 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. E-pub ahead of print

    Impact of land transformation, management and governance on subjective wellbeing across social–ecological systems

    Santillán-Carvantes, P., Tauro, A., Balvanera, P., Requena-Mullor, J. M., Castro, A. J., Quintas-Soriano, C. & Martín-López, B., 12.12.2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Sustainability Science. 15 p., 119369.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Impact of land cover homogenization on the Corncrake (Crex crex) in traditional farmland

    Dorresteijn, I., Teixeira, L., von Wehrden, H., Loos, J., Hanspach, J., Stein, J. A. R. & Fischer, J., 04.10.2015, In: Landscape Ecology. 30, 8, p. 1483-1495 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Impact of high carbon amendments and pre-crops on soil bacterial communities

    Kamau, C. W., van Duijnen, R., Schmid, C. A. O., Balàzs, H. E., Roy, J., Rillig, M., Schröder, P., Radl, V., Temperton, V. M. & Schloter, M., 01.02.2021, In: Biology and Fertility of Soils. 57, 2, p. 305-317 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Impact of green and blue-green light on the growth, pigment concentration, and fatty acid unsaturation in the microalga Monoraphidium braunii

    Helamieh, M., Reich, M., Rohne, P., Riebesell, U., Kerner, M. & Kümmerer, K., 01.05.2024, In: Photochemistry and Photobiology. 100, 3, p. 587-595 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Impact of emission reductions between 1980 and 2020 on atmospheric benzo[a]pyrene concentrations over europe

    Bieser, J., Aulinger, A., Matthias, V. & Quante, M., 03.2012, In: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 223, 3, p. 1393-1414 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Impact of early childhood education settings on the systems thinking skills of preschool children through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's theory

    Feriver, Ş., Olgan, R., Teksöz, G. & Barth, M., 01.01.2022, In: Systems Research and Behavioral Science. 39, 1, p. 85-103 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Impact of different methods of heathland management on the nutrient balance and vegetation dynamics

    Niemeyer, T., Fottner, S., Sieber, M. & Härdtle, W., 2002, Landschaft im Wandel - Ökologie im Wandel: Kurzfassungen der Beiträge zur 32. Jahrestagungder Gesellschaft für Ökologie in Cottbus vom 16. - 20.9.2002. Peschel, T. (ed.). Göttingen: Die Werkstatt Verlag, p. 129 1 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Impact of climate change and pollution driven land use changes on Elbe river (Northern Germany) floodplain vegetation.

    Krüger, F., Scharnke, M., Torres, E., Schneider, W. & Urban, B., 2013, 8th International Congress on Climate Change: Territorial Classification & Socio- economic Crisis,. Lakshumanan, C., Jonathan, M. P., Prasanna, N., Aquino, R. C. & Chapa, R. C. (eds.). Bharathidasan University (BDU)

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Impact of atmospheric N on growth in heathlands

    Diemont, W. H., Kramer, K., Hommel, P. & Härdtle, W., 2013, Economy and ecology of heathlands. Diemont, W. H., Heijman, W. J. M., Siepel, H. & Webb, N. R. (eds.). Zeist: Brill, p. 259-272 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review